davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25

"Bessle," said John one lovely day, just as
the afternoon was merging into evening
"Bessie"-he always called her Bessie now
u am going down to the black waffle planta-
ton by the big mealie patch. I want to see
how those young trees are doing. If you
have done your cooking"-for Bessie had been
engaged in making cake, as young ladies,
to their souls health, often have to do in the
colonies-"I wish you would put on your hat
and come with me. don't believe that you
have been out to-day"
"Thank you, Capt. Mel" answered Bessie,
looking at him in bewitching little way she
well knew how to assume, "thank you, but
think had rather not 60 out walking" This
was what she said, but her eyes added, u am
offended with you. I want to have nothing
to do with you"
every WELL" said John; "then I suppose
must 90 alone" and he took up his hat with
the air Of martyr.
Bessie looked through the open kitchen
door at the lights and shadows that chased
each other across the swelling bosom Of the
hill behind the house.
ut certainly is very fine," she said; "are
you going far9"
"No, only round the plantation"
"There are so many puff adders down there,
and hate snakes, suggested Bessie, by way
Of finding another excuse for not coming.
"Oh, I'll look after the puff adders-come
along"
aWell," she said at last, II will come, not
because want to come. but because you
have overpersuaded me. don't know what
has como to me-" she added, with q little
stamp and sudden filling Of her blue eyes
with tears, II do not seem to have any will Of
my own left When want to do one thing
and you want me to do another, it is I who
have to do what you want; and tell you !
don't like it, Capt. Mel, and shall. be very
cross out walking" and she swept past him,
on her way to fetch her hat, in that peculiarly
graceful way that angry women can some
times assume, and left him rejecting that he
never saw more charming or taking lady in
Europe or out Of it.
He had half mind to risk it and ask her
to marry him. But then, perhaps, she might
refuse him. and that was an idea that he did
not quite take to. After our first youth few
men altogether relish tho idea Of putting
themselves in position that gives capricious
woman an opportunity Of first 6guratively
jumping on them, and then perhaps holding
them up to the scorn and obloquy Of her
friends, relations and other admirers For,
unfortunately, until the opposite is clearly
demonstrated, many men are apt to believe
that not few women are by nature capri
cious, shallow and unreliable; and John Mel,
owing, possibly, to that unhappy little expe-
rience Of his youth, must be reckoned
among their misguided ranks.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25
GOOD MEN.

"The parents that educate six So
Der, industrious, God fearing sons or
daughters, or both, are the means of
placing power for good in the world,
which the man who endows univer-
sity with million dollars may not
equal. However useful good institu-
tions are (and their value can hard
ly be overestimated), good men are
the real power for goodin the world
and good men are produced in the
family. The world may succeed quite
we'll with poor institutions, if there
be an abundance of good, God fear
ing men. But the very best institu-
tions cannot save the world when
there are no good men,"
We quote the above from the Lu-
theran Hsitor editorial Of the asso-
ciate editor on "Unnoticed Saints"
Good men is the great need of these
times as has been the case in all ages
of the world.
We want good men in matters of
Church and State, in politics, in bus
iness, in everything. It is broad
term and embraces great deal.
The way to supply this want is the
mighty problem of the age. The
work must begin in the home, around
the freside. Christian mothers and
Christian homes WELD a mighty
power in producing good men. The
future destiny of the country, to a
great extent, is in the hands Of the
mothers of the country. A great re-
sponsibility is, but must be borne.
The early impressions on the mind
of the boy are the lasting ones, and
when once started in the proper paths
it tisdifficult to divert his steps. Now
and then one goes astray and forgets
his early training, but it is rare.
Give us good men and we will
have good measures, good govern
ment.
Christian homes, Christian schools,
Christian influences and we will have
good men.
The power for good welded by
good men can never be estimated
nor appreciated in this world.-NelC-
6erry Herald and Ne,Cs.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25
A TIGERS BLOW,

A man.eater, which for six months
had been the terror of the neighbOr-
hood had been traced down and was
seen to creep into ravine. The
beaters were at once ordered off, as
they could not be of service, and
might be charged upon by the tiger,
which had already been rendered
furious by wound. Unfortunately,
these men are in the habit of half
intoxicating themselves with opium
before driving the tiger from his
refuge, and one Of them who had
taken too large dose refused to es-
cape, and challenged the tiger, draw
ing his sword and waving it defiant
ly. In a moment the animal sprang
upon him, dashed him to the ground
with Il blow of his paw and turned
ut bay. After a series of desperate
charges he was killed. The hunters
then went to the assistance of the
wounded man, but found that he
was past all aid, the lower part Of
his face, including both jaws, had
been carried away, rs if by cannon
ball.
The terrific effect of the single blow
indicates the power of the limb which
struck it. Had the blow taken effect
Il few inches higher the whole of the
head would have been carried away.
BY a similar blow a tiger has been
known to crush the skull of an OK 50
completely that when handled the
broken bones felt as if they were loose
in a bag. The wonderat this terrific
strength diminishes when the limb
is measured. The tiger which kill
ed the foolhardy man was by no
means a large one, measuring nine
feet four inches from the nose to the
tip Of the tail ; yet the girth of the
forearm was two feet seven inches.
The corresponding limb of very
powerful man scarcely exceeds foot
in circumference.
Not until it becomes a man-eater
is the tiger much dreaded, especially
in the case of those natives who do
not possess flocks or herds. Indeed,
when an Englishman has offered to
killa tiger whose lair was we'll known,
he was requested not to do so, as the
tiger did no harm and killed so many
deer that it supplied the neighbors
with meat. The tigress is much
more to be dreaded as a man-eater
than the male animal.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25
HOMESICK.

Near one of our large cities there
is n small asylum for aged blind men.
1t isa quiet. airy house and stands
inside of an orchard and Old-fashion-
ed garden. Under the trees and in
the shaded alleys you may see the
grey old pensioners sitting together,
telling the same stories for the thous-
andth time, feeding the poultry, play
ing with the janitor's child. They
have found rest and friendly quiet,
in which to wait until death-that
silent, kindest friend of all-comes
to lead them home.
Among these old men, was one,
Sandy McFarquhar, an old tifer who
had belonged to Higland regiment
and had strayed in his old age to
this country to join his son. The
son had died, his wife married again;
and poor old Sandy, nearly eighty,
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25

FORESTS AND RAIN-FALL.-There
is nothing of greater Importance to
the agriculturists than rain at the
proper season and in proper quantity;
and science has demonstrated that
the forests of a country are potent in
the regulation of storms, the forma-
tion of clouds, and the descent OF
rain. Anything which vitality affects
the interests of the farmer and pro-
ducer affects the whole State, and de-
mands the earliest attention of the
peoples representatives. The reck-
less destruction of forests, so strongly
condemned by many American writ
ers, which has been practiced by
their countrymen, is now bearing its
fruits in the terrible spring and au-
tumn floods which of late years have
affected large portions of the United
States. The Americans might spare
much of their care for the channels of
the Mississippi if they would restore
the groves cut from the hills which
feed its sources. TO disforest noun
tain slope is to devote the height to
barrenness, the valley to flood, and
both to parching drouth when drouth
is most injurious.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25

ANOTHER VIEW.-A good story is
told of an old resident. among the
Catskills who used to act as guide
for the enthusiastic tourists who
came up to the mountains from New
York. He was once taking one OF
these gentlemen through the paths
and byways of the region.
The visitor was of a pOectic frame
of mind. and entered upon each fresh
scene with delight as he traversed
the glens and followed the rocky
beds of the streams through tortu-
Gus ravines.
His guide bore his zeal, his excla-
nation, his quotations, his loudly ex-
pressed admiration, as long as ne
could, then cynically remarked, u
say, mister, you come from New
York, don't you ~
Yes, thegentleman came from New
York.
"Wa'al, then, what would you say
s'pose l went down there an was to
90 gawkin' round as you do here ~
GRATITUDE.-Asth the branches of
tree return their sap to the root from
whence it arose as a river poureth
his stream to the sea, from whence
his spring was supplied, so the heart
of q grateful man delighteth in re-
turning a benefit received.
He acknowledged his obligation
with cheerfulness; he looketh on his
benefactor with love and esteem.
And if to return it be not in his
power, he nourisheth the memory of
it in his breast with kindness !; he for
getteth it not all the days of his life.
The hand of the generous man is
like the clouds of heaven, which drop
upon the earth fruit, herbage, and
flowers; the heart of the ungrateful
is like a desert of sand, which swal-
loweth with greediness the showers
that fall, but burieth them in its
bosom, and produceth nothing.
PLANTATION PHILosoPHY.-De
ignunt man, no matter eff he has got
mo- money den er smart man, amt
nigh ez much use ter de curmunity.
Ever yeah rs mo- an mo- WINGED
dat yer KANT gauge de 'cerity o. er
man by what he says. DE haug
squeals jist ez loud wen he aint hurt
eZ wen he is.
De man whut he 8 de mos frien's is
de man whut uses dem de least. De
only way ter hab er nice coat fur
Sunday is not ter war it mon once
week.-Arkans0s ITareler.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25

The RATS WEAPoNs.-The rat is
finely equipped for the peculiar life
he is ordained to lead. He has strong
weaponsin the shape of four long and
very sharp teeth-two in the upper
jaw and two in the lower. These teeth
are wedge-shaped, and by wonder
full provision Of nature have always
a fine, sharp, cutting edge. On ex-
amining them carefully, the inner
part is found to be of a soft, ivory
like composition, which can easily be
worn away, and the outside is COM
posed of a glass-like enamel, which
is exceedingly hard. The upper
teeth work into the under so that the
centres of the opposed teeth meet
perfectly in the act of gnawing, hence
the soft part is being continually
worn away, while the hard part keeps
a sharp, chisel-like edge all the time,
and at the same time the teeth are
constantly growing up from the bot
tom, so that as they wear away a
fresh supply is ready. Should one Of
these teeth be removed by accident
or otherwise, the opposing tooth will
continue to grow, and there being
nothing to wear it away, it will pro-
iect from the mouth and be turned
upon itself, and if it be an under
tooth it will grow so long as to pene-
trate the skull.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25

alcohol is so prolific. They were
taken from nature and so disgusting
that people who were shown them
could neither eat nor drink on that
day.-Futhe7' LOiSOfa.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25

THE TRUTH.-The boy who sees
his father adulterate his goods, and
arrange his best fruit upon the top of
the box, is taught object lessons he
doesn't forget. The following incl
dents were recently told:
"Come," said a certain mother to
her little boy, "take this; take this;
it is something good"
The child was evidently suspicious;
but after many earnest assurances on
the part of his mother, he took the
medicine. 1t was extremely bitter;
and, rejecting it at once, he raised his
young voice in angry reproaches
against his mother for telling him
such a lie.
"No, my DEAR" said she; II have
told you no lie. The medicine is
good it is good to cure you. That Is
what I meant"
"Good to cure mew cried he, with
a look Of perfect contempt. "You
cheated me. You know you did,"
Yes, he was right; and by that act
she lost the confidence of her little
boy.
A little girl, hearing her mother
say to the clerk, after she had taken
samples (for her crazy quilD from
several pieces of goods, that she
would call in the afternoon and make
some purchases, said:
Mamma, you said that at all the
other stores"
Actual lessons, like these, do far
more to fix moral character than all
the perfunctory preaching and advis-
ing possible from September to July.
A child cannot be more certainly
corrupted than by hearing good ad-
vice and seeing a bad exemplifica-
tion of it. Preaching is easy; it's
the practicing that tells.
The STIFFNESS OF DEATH.-The
temperature of the body and the rig
idity of the muscles are not sure
sign. Cases are on record where, in
stead OF being cold, the body had a
temperature actually exceeding life,
sometimes rising to ,109 deg, and in
the matter of stiffness (or rigor NOR
tis, as it is called) is subject to much
variation, sometimes coming on i'm
mediately after death and sometimes
long after. AS a general thing, di-
rectly after death the body is limp,
the jaw drops and the limbs are linn
ber. Stiffnesssoon follows, when the
corpse may be raised up.
This rigor sometimes comes very
suddenly after death. There is one
case on record where some soldiers
were sitting in a group. One was
laughing at sally of his companion,
when she'll carried away his head.
An examination of the head showed
the features so suddenly stiffened that
the expression of mirth and laughter
remained there in perfect outline. A
soldier told the writer that he saw
a companion killed while in the act
of climbing nee during the battle
of Perryville, and he stiffened so
quickly that his dead hands grasped
the rails, and one leg remained rails
ed just as he had been about to throw
it over the top rail. Passers by see
ing him thought he was living, and
paid no further attention to him.
He stuck there in that position for
over two days. This is we'll vouched
for, and can be proved by several
witnesses. .-Pitts6urg Dispatch.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25

IBaS The two most engaging powers
of an author are to make new things
frmiliar and familiar things new.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25

s6r Method is the very hinge Of
business, and there is no method
without punctuality.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-05-25
WORK OF NATURES SCULPTOR.

We are accustomed to associate
such gigantic water carvings as the
Colorado canyon and Niagara gorge
with almost inconceivable periods of
time, yet instances are numerous of
the wearing from the solid rock of
gorges hundreds of feet deep. by two
or three centuries only of work.
Lyell mentions the case of the Sine
to, in Sicily, which had been dam
med by lavas in 1903. In two and
half centuries it had excavated a
channel fifty to several hundred feet
deep, and in some parts forty to fifty
wide, although the rock is hard ba-
salt. He also describes a gorge in
decomposed rock, near Milledgeville,
Ga, that was at first mud crack a
yard deep, but which, in twenty
years, was 300 yards long, twenty to
lSO feet wide and fifty-tive feet deep;
and Liais describes similar gorge,
of twice the length, in Brazil, made
in forty years.
But it is in the low lands bordering
rivers that the flood artist finds the
plastic material that may be nodded
with each passing season. With
high water the streams rapidly wear
into earthly banks, commencing new
bends or cutting off old ones, and
even opening new chan! els for dis
charge. The great and turbulent
Hoang- Flo is noted for its devasta-
tions, says Dana. In 1850 it emptled
in the Yellow sea now this mouth is
dry, and it has new channel open
ing to the Gulf of Pechele, nearly
300 miles north of its former outlet,
and it departed from the old channel
more than this distance from the
coast. This is the last of many
changes, back and forth, recorded
by the Chinese during the past 5000
years.-ArkunsaS Traveller.
GRAY HAIR.-That gray hair is
not caused by old age is proved by
the fact that many persons begin to
show gray hairs while they are yet
in their twenties, and some while in
their teens. This does not by any
means argue premature decay OF
the constitution. 1t is a purely local
phenomenon, and may co.eXist with
unusual bodily vigor. The cele-
brated author and traveller, George
Borrow, turned quite gray before he
was thirty, but was an extraordinary
swimmer and athlete at sixty-tive.
The spot where grayness appears
differs with the Individual. The
philosopher, Schopenhauer, began to
turn gray on the temples and com
placently framed a theory that this
is an indication of vigorous mental
activity. Race has marked influence:
The traveller, DR.. Orbigno, says that
in the many years he spent in South
America he never saw bald Indian
and scarcely ever saw a gray haired
one. They turn more slowly than
the whites.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-09-29
A Girl Snake Catcher.
Boston Transcript.

She lives in Maiden, she is II years old
or Whereabouts, and she is an ophiologist
that is TO say, her specially is snakes.
Very often, in pleasant summer weather,
this young girl, with hands clad in high
buck gloves and armed with bottle of
chloroform, turks about the fens and
pools and thickets watching for snakes,
girl fair to look upon, sauntering one
might imagine, with eyes upon theground
in maiden meditation, fancy. She is in
maiden meditation, indeed, but not fancy
free, because her fancy is bound to snakes
and she is searching intently for some
variety not yet added to her collection of
several hundred. Presently she stops;
with an eager CLEAN in her eye she crou-
ehes along a step or two, her glove.clad
right hand drawn back as If to clutch
some object; she springs forward toward
the ground with swift motion and then
stands erect with the body of a snake
writhing about her arm In desperate
throes She has it by the neck and pro-
ceeds calmly to thrust its head into the
neck of her bottle of chloroform,
Not many days ago this young scientist
after rather desperate contest captured
in the fells black snake so large and
powerful that when Il wrapped itself IN
the mad grasp of its body about her up
per arm it strained her cords and muscles
so severely that she was lame for week.
1t did not prevent her however from sal
lying forth again and when she happened
to perceive at the margin OF pool big
water snake of variety which she had
not secured for her collection she lay in
wait for it. As the snake bounced upon
frog she bounced upon the snake; but
the reptile was in his element, and es-
capped her. Was she to be batfled in that
wayg Not at all She managed in some
way to anchor frog upon stone at the
edge of the pool at a spot where the bank
was overhung with bushes. Then she
laid herself fat upon her face under The
bushes at the brink of the water and
there she lay in ambush for a long time,
while the snake curiously eyed the frog.
At last the snake with sudden resolution
made bold to seize the frog; but as he
cid so a gloved hand, swifter than his
own sinuos motion, darted from the bank
and he wag a prisoner splashing the
water Of the pool in his effort to escape.
The girl has one grief-she has not been
able to capture with her own hands a
rattlesnake.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-09-29
PERSONAL CHIT CHAT

Claus Spreckels, the sugar king, Is said
to be worth over $30,00,O00.
Charles B. jefferson, son of the we'll
known comedian, has paid $4,000 for a
third interest in "A Dark Secret" a
lnelo- drama which promises TO have
big rue.
Lille Devereux BIake's daughter, a
pretty young woman in her twenties, Is
in training 10 take her mothers place
as a reformer after the latter wearies out
or dies.
Mrs. William Astor will not open her
town house in New York this season, it
is said, because the social duties posed
upon her there are too onerous for her to
discharge.
James Henry, the great grandson Of
the famous Patrick Henry, Is one OF the
promising young men of Tennessee, lie
resides at Covington, End last week mar
ried into the McGraw family,
Tom Mast, the cartoonist Of HarPer's
Weekly. lives ia handsome residence st
Morristown, n. j. lie takes long ride
every afternoon on horseback, followed
by two grey hounds.
Senator Eyarts wrote the temperance
plank in the New York platform Dir
! Evarts had never before attended state
/ convention, and it was the first republican
convention since the famous convention
! Of 1860, In the Chicago ~wigwaEn,8 whsn
/ he nominated William II. Seward.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-09-29
TRUE PERSEVERANCE.
A Never Falling Road to Success in Mfe's
Various Pursuits
Youths Companion.

Various Pursuits,
Youths Companion.
The following story is one of the tradi
tions of manufacturing firm in Glasgow,
Scotland. Thirty years ago barefooted,
ragged urchin presented himself before
the desk of the principal partner and
asked for work as an errand boy.
"There's deal o. rinning to be dunno" "
said Mr. Blank, jestingly, affecting a
broad Scotch accent. "Your first qualiti-
cation wRd be pair o. shoon."
The boy, with grave nod, disappear
ed. He lived by doi2g cdd jobs in the
market, and slept under one of the stalls.
Two months passed before he saved
enough money to buy the shoes. Then
he presented himself before Mr.. Blank
one morning, and held out a package.
II haze the shoon, sir" he said quietly.
"Oh?' Mr.. Blank with difficulty re-
called the circumstance. "You want
place? Not in those rags, NY lad, you
would disgrace the house"
The boy hesitated a moment and then
went out without a word. Six months
passed before he returned, decently
clothed in coarse but new garments. Mr..
Blanks's interest Was aroused. For the
first time he looked at the boy attentively.
His thin, bloodless face showed that he
had stinted himself of food for months
in order to buy these clothes. The manu-
facturer now questioned the boy closely
and found, TO his regret, that he could
neither read nor write.
at is necessary that you should do
both before we could employ you in carry
ing home packages" he said. We have
no place for you"
The lads face grew paler, but without
a word of complaint he disappeared. He
now went fifteen miles into the country
and found work in stables near to night
school. At the end of year he again
presep ted himself before Mr.. Blank.
81 can read and write" he said, briefly.
81 gave him a place." the employer
said, years afterwards, with the convic-
tion that in process of time he would
take mine if he made up his mind to do
it. Men rise slowly in Scotch business
houses, but he is now our chief foreman"
Thoreau says to young man; "Be
not simply good; be good for something
Know your own bone; gnaw it, unearth
it, but gnaw it still" Three thousand
years before Thoreau, Zoroaster pointed
out the same sure way to success: "To
the mortal who perseveres The blessed
Immortals are swift" Cod said Ben
jamin Franklin, translating the Magian
into English, "helps the man who helps
himself